Apparatus to provide liquid funds in the online auction environment

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer readable storage to implement a lending system for use with electronic commerce web sites such as auction sites. A seller may receive a cash loan for items placed for sale but not yet purchased by a buyer. The seller can be required to pay back the loan after a predetermined amount of time or as soon as the item for sale is sold and payment is received from the buyer. The lender would charge interest or commission for the loan. In this manner, sellers can receive cash for items listed on auction sites before those items are actually sold, generating additional cash flow for the seller.

1 . A method, comprising:
 logging in, by a client device and onto an e-commerce platform, using seller authentication information;   providing, by the client device to the e-commerce platform, information associated with an item listing by at least listing an item for sale on the e-commerce platform;   transmitting, by the client device and to a lender device, a reference to the item listing; and   receiving, by the client device, a confirmation that a monetary amount has been distributed.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the client device and prior to receiving the confirmation that the monetary amount has been distributed to the seller account, a request for seller authentication information for the e-commerce platform; and   sending, by the client device and in response to receiving the request for the seller authentication information for the e-commerce platform, the seller authentication information for the e-commerce platform.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the client device and prior to receiving the confirmation that the monetary amount has been distributed to the seller account, a loan offer to distribute the monetary amount to the seller account, the loan offer comprising a repayment amount and a repayment schedule; and   sending, by the client device, an acceptance to the loan offer to distribute the monetary amount to the seller account.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein sending the acceptance to the loan offer to distribute the monetary amount to the seller is performed in response to receiving affirmative client input from a user interface of the client device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the item listing and the request for the monetary amount to be distributed to the seller account is automatically transmitted by a browser plug-in in response to generating the item listing on the e-commerce platform. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising registering, by the client device, a loan account with the lender device, the loan account comprising a social security number, an address, and information for the seller account. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the loan account further comprises seller authentication information for the e-commerce platform. 
     
     
         8 . A system, comprising:
 a computing device comprising a processor and a memory; and   machine-readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to at least:
 log in to an e-commerce platform using seller authentication information; 
 generate an item listing by at least listing an item for sale on the e-commerce platform; 
 transmit, to a lender device, the item listing and a request for a monetary amount to be distributed to a seller account; and 
 receive a confirmation that the monetary amount has been distributed to the seller account. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the computing device to at least:
 receive, prior to receiving the confirmation that the monetary amount has been distributed to the seller account, a request for seller authentication information for the e-commerce platform; and   send, in response to receiving the request for the seller authentication information for the e-commerce platform, the seller authentication information for the e-commerce platform.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the computing device to at least:
 receive, prior to receiving the confirmation that the monetary amount has been distributed to the seller account, a loan offer to distribute the monetary amount to the seller account, the loan offer comprising a repayment amount and a repayment schedule; and   send an acceptance to the loan offer to distribute the monetary amount to the seller account.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the machine-readable instructions that send the acceptance to the loan offer to distribute the monetary amount to the seller is executed by the processor in response to receiving affirmative client input from a user interface. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the machine-readable instructions that transmit the item listing and the request for the monetary amount to be distributed to the seller account further causes the computing device to at least automatically transmit, by a browser plug-in, in response to generating the item listing on the e-commerce platform. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the machine-readable instruction further cause the computing device to at least register a loan account with the lender device, the loan account comprising a social security number, an address, and information for the seller account. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the loan account further comprises seller authentication information for the e-commerce platform. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory, computer-readable medium, comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to at least:
 log in to an e-commerce platform using seller authentication information;   generate an item listing by at least listing an item for sale on the e-commerce platform;   transmit, to a lender device, the item listing and a request for a monetary amount to be distributed to a seller account; and   receive a confirmation that the monetary amount has been distributed to the seller account.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the computing device to at least:
 receive, prior to receiving the confirmation that the monetary amount has been distributed to the seller account, a request for seller authentication information for the e-commerce platform; and   send, in response to receiving the request for the seller authentication information for the e-commerce platform, the seller authentication information for the e-commerce platform.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the computing device to at least:
 receive, prior to receiving the confirmation that the monetary amount has been distributed to the seller account, a loan offer to distribute the monetary amount to the seller account, the loan offer comprising a repayment amount and a repayment schedule; and   send an acceptance to the loan offer to distribute the monetary amount to the seller account.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the machine-readable instructions that send the acceptance to the loan offer to distribute the monetary amount to the seller is executed by the processor in response to receiving affirmative client input from a user interface. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable instructions that transmit the item listing and the request for the monetary amount to be distributed to the seller account further causes the computing device to at least automatically transmit, by a browser plug-in, in response to generating the item listing on the e-commerce platform. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the computing device to at least register a loan account with the lender device, the loan account comprising a social security number, an address, and information for the seller account.